Description
Chewy, soft cookies loaded with milk chocolate chips, salted caramel bits, and crushed pretzels, drizzled with homemade salted caramel. A sweet and salty delight!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup salted caramel bits (such as Werther’s Original Caramel Bits)
- ½ cup crushed pretzels (about 2 cups whole pretzels before crushing)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Cream the Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Add the Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually Add Dry Ingredients to Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the Chocolate Chips, Caramel Bits, and Pretzels: Gently fold in the milk chocolate chips, salted caramel bits, and crushed pretzels until evenly distributed.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop the Dough: Use a cookie scoop or spoon to drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake: Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Combine Sugar and Heavy Cream: In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and heavy cream.
- Cook over Medium Heat: Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil.
- Boil Without Stirring: Once boiling, stop stirring and let the mixture cook until it turns a deep amber color (5-7 minutes). Watch carefully, as it can burn easily. Use a candy thermometer if you have one; the mixture should reach 245°F (118°C).
- Remove from Heat and Add Butter and Salt: Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately stir in the butter and sea salt until smooth. Be careful, as the mixture will bubble up when you add the butter.
- Let Cool Slightly: Let the caramel cool slightly before drizzling it over the cooled cookies. The caramel will thicken as it cools.
- Drizzle with Salted Caramel (Optional): Once the cookies are completely cooled, drizzle them with the salted caramel sauce, if desired.
- Sprinkle with Extra Pretzels (Optional): For an extra crunch and salty flavor, sprinkle the drizzled cookies with additional crushed pretzels.
- Let the Caramel Set: Allow the caramel to set completely before serving or storing the cookies. This usually takes about 30 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature butter for a light and fluffy texture.
- Don’t overmix the dough to avoid tough cookies.
- Chilling the dough prevents excessive spreading.
- Parchment paper prevents sticking.
- Don’t overbake the cookies.
- Adjust salt in caramel to taste.
- Experiment with toppings!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes